This course covers common foundation types used today on both residential and commercial properties including the range of foundations available from simple trench fill foundations through to piling and ground beams. Delegates will learn about the design of simply supported basic structural elements, timber floor joists and steel beams over openings. The course will include an exercise based on a domestic extension that looks at loading, bending moments and shear forces, steel beams, floor joists and associated elements.

CPD: This course counts for 3 hours CPD.

Cost: Days 1 & 2 cost £80.00+VAT per day. You will need to book each part separately using the links at the bottom of this page.

Platform: This course will be held via Zoom and will run for 3.5 hours including time for breaks.

Day One Course Content:

• Loadings and loading assessments.
• Structural analysis of simple structure - Bending moments and shear forces
• Design of timber floors including worked example and practice session
• Common types of foundations and their uses

Day Two Course Content:

• Brief recap on the loading and structural analysis from Day 1
• Design of simply supported steel beams including worked example and practice session
• Structural alterations of domestic properties

Delegates will gain an understanding of the different types of foundations and where there are likely to be used. This will better assist them with their on site assessment when inspecting trial holes and reading through any site investigation reports. They will also learn to understand how loadings are obtained for subsequent analysis on a domestic property. Using these loadings they will then be able to analyse the structural member before proceeding to the design of that structural member. 

Who Should Attend?

Surveyors who are keen to develop their expertise and knowledge of the subject, together with qualified surveyors who want an update session for continuing professional development.

“These small courses are ideal for the single practitioner” – Mark Smith, Vernon-Smith Associates

"It was without a doubt the best format I have come across. Lots of content, swift presentations. Great!" – Peter Brown, Marsden Brown Associates

Join us at one of our free LABC Technical Seminars (also known as Technical Roadshows) where you will hear from industry experts, exchange ideas and have your questions answered by local building control teams and the LABC team.

You will have the opportunity to register with us on the day to continue being the first to learn about important new building regulations guidance, receive FREE regular CPD briefing sessions, FREE technical e-bulletins and further networking opportunities.

CPD: Virtual events count for 2 hours CPD, in person events count for 3.5 hours CPD.

Cost: FREE

CPD Partners & Speakers:

• Actis Insulation - Tomorrow’s insulation solutions for Future Homes Standards
• Instagroup - Modern solutions for old issues
• LABC - What's new in building regs & compliance?
• LABC Warranty - Typical Warranty Defects

Who should attend:

• Builders

• Designers

• Local authority building control teams

• FMB Master Builders

Follow us on Twitter: @labcuk #labcseminar #designwithus #buildwithus

If you have any questions, or if you wish to register your interest please email us at bookings@labc.co.uk or call us on 020 8616 8120.

This course is designed to provide anyone involved in the design, checking, implementation and inspection of foundations, ground works and ground floor slabs with the basic knowledge necessary to perform their role with confidence. We will look at relevant sections of the Building Act 1984, Part A of the Building Regulations, British Standards and Codes of Practice, different materials and systems, ground conditions, soil types and characteristics and what to do when building near trees.  Delegates will gain knowledge and understanding of the various requirements, materials, procedures and good practice involved in foundations and ground works. It is aimed at all building control professionals, designers, contractors and site managers who require a basic understanding of the principles and practices of foundations and groundworks.

Please note: This course is split over two half days. Part 1 can be booked as a stand alone course but if you wish to attend Part 2 you must have attended Part 1. If you wish to book Parts 1 and 2 you will need to make a separate booking for each day.

CPD: Parts 1 & 2 count for 3 hours of CPD each.

Cost: Parts 1 & 2 will cost £80.00 + VAT each per delegate. You will need to book each part separately using the links at the bottom of this page.

Platform: This course will be held via Zoom. Part 1 & 2 will run for 3.5 hours including time for breaks.

Course Content & Learning Outcomes:

Part 1 - Basic Foundations (extensions and residential buildings) - For more detailed information on the course content please click here.

• Soil and soil classification
• Site investigations
• Foundation types
• Ground floor construction
• Retaining walls (small)
• Testing and tolerances
• Foundation depth calculators
• Contamination

Part 2 - Advanced Foundations (commercial, industrial, high-rise and basements) - For more detailed information please click here.

• Soil and soil classification (advanced)
• Site investigations (additional information)
• Foundation types
• Piling
• Retaining walls (large)
• Basements
• Testing, static, dynamic, integrity
• Foundation/pile calculations
• Piling - good practice guide
• Contamination

Testimonials:
"Well presented and the hand-outs were very useful"
"An excellent and informative course"
"A very interesting course that added further valuable knowledge that I can use when out on site!"
"This was the best LABC course I have been on! I learnt so much and gained a crucial insight into soil mechanics."

Who should attend:
This course is suited to any building professional who wants to get a good basic understanding of foundations and ground works.

• Architects
• Chartered Architectural Technologists
• Developers
• Builders
• Contractors
• Specialist Contractors
• Building Consultants
• Surveyors
• Public Service Building Control Surveyors

The validation assessment has been developed by LABC to enable experienced building control surveyors to demonstrate their competence in relation to building regulation fire safety in the context of high risk and complex buildings (residential and commercial). This also includes Higher Risk Buildings (HRBs) included in the draft Building Safety Bill. 

THE MEASURE OF COMPETENCY

Whilst many of you have years of experience as Building Control Surveyors there has never been a true demonstrable measure of the competency of a building control surveyor to work on complex and high risk buildings. Whilst many surveyors have qualifications and are members of professional bodies, post Grenfell this is no longer considered enough to validate an individual to work on the most complex of projects. In the near future all levels of building control surveyor will need to have their competence validated in this way in order to be Registered with the Building Safety Regulator

LABC has created an assessment to allow existing experienced surveyors to validate their fire safety competency in working on high risk and complex buildings. This assessment has been written to test four elements of competency in line with emerging industry guidance on competency assessment, namely:

• Knowledge – job specific knowledge required to perform the role / level effectively
• Skills / Experience - relevant and recent job specific capabilities or proficiencies developed (through the application of that knowledge) to perform the role / level effectively supported by peers and mentors.
• Abilities - innate capabilities required of a particular task or situation – personal skills, awareness of strengths and weaknesses and maintaining CPD
• Ethics & Professional Behaviour - moral principles and respectful and courteous business and personal conduct.

THE VALIDATION PROCESS

• STEP 1 – All candidates will be required to complete an application form. Please email certification@thebscf.org for a copy of the application form. 
• STEP 2 – LABC will review all applications and contact candidate line managers to obtain their endorsement of the application form.
• STEP 3 – LABC will confirm approval of the application via email with a link to book onto your chosen exam location. LABC members will pay a subsidised rate of £50+VAT, the remainder being covered by 2020/21 membership fees. 
• STEP 4 – Candidates sit the exam.  All examination centres will adhere fully to COVID-19 guidelines ensuring social distancing and all necessary precautions are in place. The examination is in 2 parts. The first is closed book and lasts for 1 hour. There is then a short break after which there will be a 2 hour open book examination. Due to COVID restrictions, there will be no refreshments provided,
• STEP 5 - Results will be published 8 weeks after the exam date. Results provided will be PASS/REFERRED.

All successful candidates will receive a certificate and an ID card showing that they have passed the validation assessment. Bi-annual renewal of ID cards will be subject to candidates submitting sufficient evidence of ongoing project work in relation to building regulations fire safety on higher risk buildings.

The Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE) has worked with LABC to create this assessment process and has confirmed that by passing the assessment individuals will be able to gain access to membership of the IFE (MIFireE) subject to an appropriate professional portfolio.

START APPLICATION

If you have any questions regarding the validation assessment please contact the validation team at certification@thebscf.org,

USEFUL RESOURCES

LABC Validation assessment for Building Regulation Fire Safety on Higher Risk Buildings  – what you need to know

• This document contains information of why this assessment has been created and outlines recommended reading and the structure of the examination.

LABC Validation assessment for Building Regulation Fire Safety on Higher Risk Buildings  – sample paper

• Sample paper containing example questions

LABC Virtual Learning Environment

• The LABC VLE is available only to LABC members and contains additional learning resources